A 9-year-old boy was hurt when a dumbbell fell on him while he and his three siblings were left without adult supervision at their Kissimmee home, and now their 50-year-old mother faces four counts of child neglect. The children, ages 14, 12, 11 and 9, were discovered alone on Oct. 21 after a 911 call from one of the kids. Their mother, Irene Miller, was out of state at the time, working in Las Vegas.
According to WESH, fire rescue crews responded just after 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 after a juvenile called 911 to report that her younger brother had suffered a head injury at a residence on Parkway Boulevard. The 9-year-old boy was treated and released at Celebration Hospital, per the Osceola County Sheriff's Office account relayed in the report.
Deputies determined that all four siblings had been left without an adult in the home, the station reports. Miller told deputies she had left for Las Vegas on Oct. 18 for work, according to investigators cited in the same account. A babysitter from Tampa had been checking on the children in the mornings and after school but did not stay overnight, the outlet notes.
Father Steps In, Detectives Wait for Mother's Return
Once notified, the children's father took custody of all four siblings, per the same report. Investigators contacted Miller by phone before her return from Las Vegas, and detectives met her when she returned on Oct. 23, at which point she was taken into custody. She was booked into the Orange County jail on four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, the station notes.
Under Florida law, knowingly or willfully abusing a child without causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement is classified as a third-degree felony. The statute's full scope of penalties for the charge was not detailed in the available excerpt.
Not an Isolated Case in Florida
The Kissimmee case echoes another recent Florida arrest. In late September, NBC News reported that a Florida woman, Nathalie Belizaire, was accused of leaving her four minor children home alone during a three-day cruise and was likewise charged with four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. The details of that case remain separate from the Osceola County allegations against Miller.
Whether Miller has entered a plea or retained an attorney has not been reported. The children remain in their father's custody following the incident.
